Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida provided a sneak peek this week into the message he plans to deploy in the 2024 GOP nomination race, telling donors former President Donald Trump is not electable because negative views of him are most likely set in stone.
“You have basically three people at this point that are credible in this whole thing,” Mr. DeSantis said in a phone call with donors, according to The New York Times. “Biden, Trump and me.”
“And I think of those three, two have a chance to get elected president — Biden and me, based on all the data in the swing states, which is not great for the former president and probably insurmountable because people aren’t going to change their view of him,” Mr. DeSantis said
Mr. DeSantis is expected to launch his long-anticipated bid for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination next week, putting him on a crash course with Mr. Trump.
Mr. Trump has been preparing for Mr. DeSantis to enter the race and has spent months peppering him with personal and political attacks.
Mr. DeSantis is seen by a lot of Republicans as the future of the party.
SEE ALSO: Trump escalates attacks ahead of DeSantis’ campaign launch
His record in Florida — both legislative and electoral — has won him a national fanbase of supporters who are looking for an alternative to Mr. Trump.
But he also has a far number of detractors — namely the loyal network of supporters Mr. Trump has cultivated since his political rise in 2016.
Mr. DeSantis faces an uphill battle, according to polls that show Mr. Trump with a big lead, both nationally and in early primary states.
His camp remains optimistic that he can eat into that lead over the coming months.
Mr. DeSantis is expected to launch his campaign ahead of a May 25 meeting with donors in Miami.
The Times reported Mr. DeSantis said voters have told him they like Mr. Trump’s policies, but are looking for someone more in line with their values. Mr. DeSantis shared the story of a voter he met in Iowa who said: “You know, Trump was somebody, we liked his policies, but we didn’t like his values. And with you, we like your policies but also know that you share our values.”
• Seth McLaughlin can be reached at smclaughlin@washingtontimes.com.